The Army is addressing capability gaps and receiving feedback from units assessing prototypes of the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System as the service works to define a capability development document for the effort, a service official said yesterday.
Unmanned Systems
September 10, 2020
September 9, 2020
The Navy is working with the Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities Office to evaluate the command, control and design of large and medium unmanned surface vehicles.
September 8, 2020
The Navy has begun a prototyping effort to demonstrate a new autonomous integration capability that, if successful, will debuted in the fiscal year 2022 budget request, according to an officer overseeing the project.
September 8, 2020
The Navy late last week awarded six companies with contracts to begin studies for the Large Unmanned Surface Vessel, providing an early look into which companies will vie to build the new class of ship.
August 28, 2020
L3Harris Technologies' new contract to build the Navy’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel includes the maritime technology firm Gibbs & Cox as well as the Louisiana-based shipbuilder Swiftships as subcontractors, according to an L3Harris executive.
August 28, 2020
The Navy’s chief weapons buyer said yesterday the service’s new campaign plan for unmanned systems will strive to “align” various efforts across the operational fleet, developmental squadrons, warfare centers and the acquisition corps.
August 20, 2020
The Pentagon announced today the availability of new, U.S.-manufactured, small unmanned aircraft systems for a variety of government uses after the Defense Department and other federal agencies phased out their use of popular Chinese-made drones and components due to security concerns.
August 18, 2020
The Air Force Research Laboratory had to abort a July 29 flight test of Kratos' XQ-58A Valkyrie after an "anomaly" with the rocket-assisted take-off system -- the drone's second mishap in 10 months.
August 13, 2020
The Army has released an initial request for information for the investment strategy for Air-Launched Effects, drones that can perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks and deliver lethal effects against threats.
August 6, 2020
The Army this week is concluding the first soldier operational experiment for the Robotic Combat Vehicle effort to assess how it can integrate unmanned vehicles into ground combat formations.
July 31, 2020
The Trump administration is touting its export policy for unmanned aerial systems as a win for American companies, but some industry representatives say the government still hasn't fixed ongoing restrictions that hinder business.
July 30, 2020
Several defense contractors this week said sales rose during the most recent quarter, despite the ongoing pandemic.
July 28, 2020
The Air Force will decide in the next 60 to 90 days which of its four initial Skyborg prototyping competitors will have their drones participate in operational experiments to build the service's first autonomous vehicle for manned-unmanned teaming.
July 28, 2020
The Marine Corps yesterday announced it plans to modify two MQ-9 Reapers with a Raytheon-produced situational awareness tool as a means to ensure operations are similar to the Air Force-procured drones being used to train its pilots.
July 24, 2020
The Trump administration is seeking to boost U.S. exports of unmanned aerial systems by reinterpreting how those aircraft are treated under the Missile Technology Control Regime.
July 23, 2020
The Air Force has chosen Boeing, General Atomics, Kratos and Northrop Grumman as initial contractors to support the Skyborg program and compete for tasks worth up to $400 million.
July 22, 2020
The Army's Joint Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems office has merged into the fires directorate within its management office, a service official said today.
July 10, 2020
The Air Force expects to announce an "initial set of awards" for the Skyborg Prototyping, Experimentation and Autonomy Development program next week, according to a service spokesman.
July 9, 2020
House appropriators are recommending cutting most of the fiscal year 2021 funding the Air Force proposed for Advanced Battle Management System on-ramp events while also criticizing the service's nontraditional execution of the program.
July 9, 2020
Air Force testers are developing a first-of-its-kind, systematic approach to guide experimentation with artificial intelligence and autonomous airborne vehicles and fill a need within the defense community for a set of principles for officials evaluating these new technologies.